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Had an interest in doing this last year. Finally got around to testing it.
My 70 has virtually no rot and very little rust, but I wanted to attack what rust was there in 3 ways:
1-Areas you could easily remove with media blasting-bottom of car, interior of car, areas in the doors and quarters that were very accessible through large openings.
2-Areas you couldn't easily remove with media blasting-seams at quarter panel to rear wheel wells, quarters to trunk in trunk area, very bottom seams of doors, rocker panels, etc.
3-Small parts, bolts, rear axle parts (pinion yoke, axel housing ends).
After having some really good results with bolts in an acid based liquid rust product, I decided to test this liquid rust remover to address #2 and #3
I bought 2 gallons of Eastwood Rust Remover, $40 or so, a cheap 3/8' outlet submersible pump at harbor freight for about $10, 10' of 3/8 clear vinyl hose at Lowes $2.20, and some 1/2" PVC pipe, T's, 90 degree turns also Lowes about $10.
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I made a small "catch basin" and used a section of blue plastic tarp I swiped from a much too large one covering my c-clip. I used to to catch the runoff while washing the dirt and dust out of the door and rear seat area of the quarter.
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BTW-That's leftover water on the floor, not the rust stuff. Look at the color of the liquid in the basin, light greenish tint.
After testing it with a gallon of water to see if I had adequate fluid depth for the pump and the pump action itself and making a few adjustments, I set it up under the door, poured in a gallon of Eastwood rust remover, used a piece of 1/4" steel as a suction cup base for the pump, aimed it at some rust, and plugged it in.
Nothing came out of the hose. Crappy pump would not raise the fluid beyond the height of the lower hinge. Reset it on the lowest point of the door, out came the fluid. Volume was not good. I would never be able to do a larger section this way.
I let it run all night. Next morning the rust was gone. You'll see in the pictures, it's just the lowest trough of the door that was being washed by the fluid but, it worked very well.
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(You can see the "water line" of rust removal by the drain slot. If I try to get the other rust this way I need a bigger pump, greater volume, and more fluid. There is a bit of a rusty tint but that's from the leftover liquid drying. It's supposed to inhibit rust, so I did not wash it away)
I had also dropped an old idler arm bolt in the fluid that was solid rust. It came out clean, but with a black oxide coating. This coating was similar to what I had experienced with the acid based rust converter.
Next experiment was area around the rear inner fender to quarter seam. While the amount of rust it pulled almost immediately was downright scary, fluid began pouring out at the rocker panel and rear quarter and the "rust trough" was too short to catch it all, so I had to shut it down.
Last test was the pinion yoke and seal shield and axle housing ends. This stuff will supposedly not harm paint, decals, rubber, etc. Took an hour in with my de-rust-bucket set-up where, by-the-way, the flow and volume of liquid was excellent (right tool for the right job).
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Look at the color of the fluid! Still works like new!
Conclusion:
Amazed with most results, although it seems to have a selective quality of rust removal. Example, it took some off ALL the rust on the pinion yoke, nut, etc. but did not remove all the rust on the pinion shield.
A gallon goes a long way. Rust filled liquid poured out of the rockers like red primer, yet it still cleaned bots, brackets, and the pinion yoke like it was new.
Big areas need big catch basins, big pumps, 1/2" hose, a really good way of pointing the nozzle, and at least 5 gal $100-$130 to even think of using. Small parts can use a small set up like I used or a 2lb coffee can to soak small parts. Trying to do a large area with my set-up is not feasible.
It evaporates, it's water based, it did not harm paint, did not have the smallest effect on my skin, smells like oil, feels like anti-freeze, non-toxic, biodegradable.
I'm considering getting a few more gallons, a larger pump, extending the size of the trough, and de-rusting the full quarter and rocker panel areas before sending it out to be media blasted.
Still VERY happy I pulled the body, blasted the chassis, and powder coated.
My 70 has virtually no rot and very little rust, but I wanted to attack what rust was there in 3 ways:
1-Areas you could easily remove with media blasting-bottom of car, interior of car, areas in the doors and quarters that were very accessible through large openings.
2-Areas you couldn't easily remove with media blasting-seams at quarter panel to rear wheel wells, quarters to trunk in trunk area, very bottom seams of doors, rocker panels, etc.
3-Small parts, bolts, rear axle parts (pinion yoke, axel housing ends).
After having some really good results with bolts in an acid based liquid rust product, I decided to test this liquid rust remover to address #2 and #3
I bought 2 gallons of Eastwood Rust Remover, $40 or so, a cheap 3/8' outlet submersible pump at harbor freight for about $10, 10' of 3/8 clear vinyl hose at Lowes $2.20, and some 1/2" PVC pipe, T's, 90 degree turns also Lowes about $10.
I made a small "catch basin" and used a section of blue plastic tarp I swiped from a much too large one covering my c-clip. I used to to catch the runoff while washing the dirt and dust out of the door and rear seat area of the quarter.
BTW-That's leftover water on the floor, not the rust stuff. Look at the color of the liquid in the basin, light greenish tint.
After testing it with a gallon of water to see if I had adequate fluid depth for the pump and the pump action itself and making a few adjustments, I set it up under the door, poured in a gallon of Eastwood rust remover, used a piece of 1/4" steel as a suction cup base for the pump, aimed it at some rust, and plugged it in.
Nothing came out of the hose. Crappy pump would not raise the fluid beyond the height of the lower hinge. Reset it on the lowest point of the door, out came the fluid. Volume was not good. I would never be able to do a larger section this way.
I let it run all night. Next morning the rust was gone. You'll see in the pictures, it's just the lowest trough of the door that was being washed by the fluid but, it worked very well.
(You can see the "water line" of rust removal by the drain slot. If I try to get the other rust this way I need a bigger pump, greater volume, and more fluid. There is a bit of a rusty tint but that's from the leftover liquid drying. It's supposed to inhibit rust, so I did not wash it away)
I had also dropped an old idler arm bolt in the fluid that was solid rust. It came out clean, but with a black oxide coating. This coating was similar to what I had experienced with the acid based rust converter.
Next experiment was area around the rear inner fender to quarter seam. While the amount of rust it pulled almost immediately was downright scary, fluid began pouring out at the rocker panel and rear quarter and the "rust trough" was too short to catch it all, so I had to shut it down.
Last test was the pinion yoke and seal shield and axle housing ends. This stuff will supposedly not harm paint, decals, rubber, etc. Took an hour in with my de-rust-bucket set-up where, by-the-way, the flow and volume of liquid was excellent (right tool for the right job).
Look at the color of the fluid! Still works like new!
Conclusion:
Amazed with most results, although it seems to have a selective quality of rust removal. Example, it took some off ALL the rust on the pinion yoke, nut, etc. but did not remove all the rust on the pinion shield.
A gallon goes a long way. Rust filled liquid poured out of the rockers like red primer, yet it still cleaned bots, brackets, and the pinion yoke like it was new.
Big areas need big catch basins, big pumps, 1/2" hose, a really good way of pointing the nozzle, and at least 5 gal $100-$130 to even think of using. Small parts can use a small set up like I used or a 2lb coffee can to soak small parts. Trying to do a large area with my set-up is not feasible.
It evaporates, it's water based, it did not harm paint, did not have the smallest effect on my skin, smells like oil, feels like anti-freeze, non-toxic, biodegradable.
I'm considering getting a few more gallons, a larger pump, extending the size of the trough, and de-rusting the full quarter and rocker panel areas before sending it out to be media blasted.
Still VERY happy I pulled the body, blasted the chassis, and powder coated.
